New Partnership to Build Solar Array Boosts Progress Toward CSU’s Sustainability Goals

Colorado State University and Pivot Energy, a leading national renewable energy independent power producer, have announced a 20-year partnership to develop a new solar energy project that significantly advances progress toward CSU’s sustainability goals. Through the partnership, Pivot Energy will build a ground-mounted solar project in Weld County, Colorado.

WVU Unveils Sustainability Goals Designed to Reduce Waste and Emissions, Protect Land and Water

West Virginia University is committing to a comprehensive set of 20-plus sustainability goals, outlining a road map for significant environmental improvements across campus by 2035.

Announced as part of Earth Week at WVU, the initiatives — spanning categories of waste reduction, land and water protection, and lower emissions — reflect the University’s commitment to a more environmentally friendly future.

So Much More Than Growing Plants: Gardening as a Practice of Reclamation, Identity and Legacy

“The Garden is a healer… that’s just a fact.”
“When people come into my garden they see me.”
“The people in charge are not the ones that look like us.”

These were just a few of the powerful truths shared during the African American Legacy in Gardening and Horticulture Symposium on Saturday, March 29. In a space filled with stories, resistance and regeneration, I witnessed how gardening is much more than cultivation.

Solar Field Installations Begin at the Site of the Sharon and Graham Mitchell Sustainability Park

Preparation for Miami University’s two ground mount solar photovoltaic (PV) installations begins this week. The solar fields will be part of the Sharon and Graham Mitchell Sustainability Park, made possible by a $5 million principal gift from longtime Miami and sustainability supporters, Sharon Janosik Mitchell ’73 and Graham Mitchell ’73, M.En. ’76.

Making a ‘tangible difference in people’s lives’

When Clark’s Department of Sustainability and Social Justice — a revisioning of the International Development, Community, and Environment program — launched in 2023, faculty wanted to ensure that students across all five master’s programs had the opportunity to learn from each other.

In transforming the department’s curriculum, faculty purposefully developed a new, common seminar that is required for graduate students.

Learning Beyond the Classroom: U Kentucky Students Turn Sustainability Lessons Into Action

The spirit of sustainability was alive and well on campus as part of the University of Kentucky community rolled up their sleeves to plant trees and contribute to a greener future. For the second year in a row, students from Lewis Honors College, along with the UK Grounds arboriculture team in Facilities Management, joined forces to plant trees along Alumni Drive.

Can Science Fiction Help Us Envision a Better Future?

Science fiction allows artists to speculate about the future through imaginative and technical concepts. But so often the prevailing vision of that future in popular culture tends toward the dystopian — including themes of environmental catastrophe, societal inequity, and technological domination. So why is it that so many writers of science fiction (sci-fi), or, for that matter, the emerging genre known as “cli-fi” (climate fiction), inhabit realities that no one wants to live in?

Sustainability Fund Grants Award $199,000 to 14 Campus Projects

Fourteen sustainability projects have been awarded a combined $199,000 through the NC State Sustainability Fund. These projects, set to be implemented during the 2025-2026 academic year, aim to create meaningful impact for students and advance the university’s sustainability goals.

Generated by a $2.50 per semester student fee, the Sustainability Fund supports innovative ideas from across the NC State community.

Faculty Hold Vigils for International Students Detained by Federal Government

Faculty and staff members from multiple universities gathered early this week in silent protest against the detention of three international students by the Department of Homeland Security, vowing to continue weekly vigils until all detainees are released. Simultaneous demonstrations were held at Georgetown and Tufts, with faculty at Boston University also organizing a solidarity vigil.

Federal Judge Blocks Trump's Executive Order to Close Education Department

A federal judge in Massachusetts has issued a preliminary injunction halting President Donald Trump's executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, dealing a significant blow to the administration's efforts to eliminate the federal agency. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun on last Thursday blocked Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon from carrying out the executive order and ordered the administration to reinstate approximately 1,300 Education Department employees who were terminated in March as part of a sweeping reduction-in-force.

Trump Administration Cuts Off Harvard University From Future Research Grant Funding

The institution “should no longer seek GRANTS from the federal government, since none will be provided,” U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon wrote.

The Trump administration said it will cut off all future federal research grant funding to Harvard University, escalating government threats against the Ivy League institution after it rebuffed a sweeping set of federal demands seeking ideological changes to its programs and hiring.

Trump Administration Strips Harvard’s SEVIS Certification

The government escalates its war with the university by withdrawing permission to host international students, who make up more than one-fourth of the head count. Amid an ongoing legal showdown with Harvard University, the Trump administration has carried through on a recent threat to halt the private institution’s ability to host international students. The move was first reported Thursday afternoon by The New York Times, then subsequently announced on social media by secretary of the homeland security Kristi Noem.

Judge Blocks Trump Effort to Bar International Students at Harvard

Harvard sued and asked for a restraining order less than 24 hours after the Trump administration had said it would block current and future international students from attending the university.

A federal judge halted on Friday the Trump administration’s attempts to block international students from attending Harvard University, the nation’s oldest university and one of its most prestigious.

Arizona Governor Signs Bill Banning Campus Encampments Amid National Protests

In a move that has sparked intense debate across higher education circles, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed House Bill 2880 into law, explicitly prohibiting encampments on university and community college campuses throughout the state. The new law, which amends Arizona's existing statutes on free expression at higher education institutions, specifically targets temporary shelters—including tents—installed on campuses for overnight stays or "prolonged periods of time."

Harvard Wins Injunction to Protect International Students

Less than a day after having its ability to host international students revoked by the federal government, Harvard University successfully sued the Trump administration to block the move. A judge granted a temporary restraining order late Friday morning. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Thursday afternoon that the Trump administration had stripped Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification in a letter that vaguely accused Harvard of a “failure to adhere to the law.”

Sanders, Jayapal Introduce New "College for All Act" to Eliminate Tuition for Most Students

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) introduced legislation Wednesday that would make public colleges and universities tuition-free for approximately 95% of American students, in what supporters call the most significant higher education investment in six decades. The College for All Act would eliminate tuition for students from households earning up to $150,000 annually for single households and up to $300,000 for married households.

Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Address Financial Insecurity Among STEM Researchers

Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) unveiled bipartisan legislation Wednesday aimed at tackling the growing financial crisis facing graduate and postdoctoral researchers in STEM fields. The Relieving Economic Strain to Enhance American Resilience & Competitiveness in Higher Education & Research (RESEARCHER) Act would require federal research agencies to implement policies addressing financial instability among these early-career scientists.

The Reconciliation Bill Cleared the House. Here’s How it Would Change Higher Ed.

House Republicans on Thursday narrowly passed a massive tax and spending bill that, if signed into law, would add new financial pressures on U.S. colleges and students while extending the tax cuts instituted in 2017. Backed by President Donald Trump and dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” the proposal includes provisions for dramatically increasing the endowment tax, a risk-sharing policy that would put colleges on the hook for unpaid student loans.

Bruce’s Beach: A Stolen Shoreline

In 1912 and1920, Willa and Charles Bruce purchased two oceanfront plots in Manhattan Beach, California, transforming them into a rare oasis for Black families barred from white beaches. At a time when racial boundaries were rigidly enforced, Mrs. Bruce’s vision was radical: to create a place where Black joy could thrive along the Pacific shore. They built a café, added changing rooms, and hosted dances. The waves shimmered just beyond their doors. Black families from across Los Angeles came to swim and belong in community.

Trump Is Fishing for Trouble

It is early morning in Rockport, Massachusetts. The first people have begun to arrive at the harbor. Their Downeast-style boats wait patiently in slips to be expertly piloted out to sea, not to return for weeks. The grizzled fishermen are used to this life. Year in and year out they embark on the same journeys their fathers and their fathers’ fathers did in generations past. They have plotted their course carefully and are on the hunt for bluefin tuna. The government has regulated the population diligently, and fishermen are sure to abide by the strict policies. Overfishing in the past has decimated their industry and forced them out of town.

Where Marsh Meets My Purpose

In the spring of 2021, I found myself boarding a ferry bound for Sapelo Island, Georgia––a barrier island nestled quietly along the state’s coast, wrapped in salty air and mystery. I was a junior at the University of North Georgia and a newly inducted member of the McNair Scholars Program who had not yet found her footing in the natural world. At that time, I knew that I wanted to be positioned in the environment field, but I wasn’t sure how I’d fit in. Unknown to me, this trip—sanctioned by my marine biology professor and mentor, Dr. Dalman—would become a turning point in how I understood science, community, and my place in both.

Renewing Wonder: A Trip to Kruger

There is nothing quite like being outside and immersing yourself in nature. It’s so important that the circle of environmentalist friends I live with at Duke University talk about it all the time.  So much so that my best friend coined the term “nature hygiene,” highlighting how important it is to be renewed in nature and remind ourselves why we do the work we do. At spring break, through my Ecological Diversity & Climate Change class, I had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to a truly diverse environment - Kruger National Park in South Africa which, at 7523 square miles, is slightly larger than New Jersey.

Green Courage: Maintaining Hope in the Crisis of Our Lifetime

“The world is dying.”

“We’ve reached a point of no return.”

“We’re all going to be living on a hell-like planet soon.”

These are sentiments increasingly thrown around in conversations. As I journey through my mid-20s, I more frequently envision the world my future children will inherit. These conversations of doomsayers infiltrate my thoughts, stirring fear.

Steel, Sea, and Smoke: Reflections from Antwerp

It was early morning at the port, a light mist hanging over the water. I stood watching the container ship Stockholm Eagle idling at the terminal, its engine humming softly in the background. A crane lifted stacks of hot-rolled coils and galvanized steel, heaving them into the ship’s cavernous, crimson hull. Last summer, I worked in Belgium with an international steel finance group, doing research on the green steel transition and various regulations aimed at decarbonizing the steel industry.

From Pasture to Profit: A Rewilding Revolution

Beads of sweat blur my vision as I drag a vital water trough uphill to Wild Finca’s small yet irreplaceable herd of Asturcón horses. My legs are scratched raw from the overgrown brambles and nettles–likely triggered by the previous owner’s excessive use of fertilizer, but the sensation is dwarfed by the strain of dragging the heavy load. I finally get the basin in place, and the herd drinks ravenously. As I stand appreciating these majestic creatures, I realize the essential role they play as part of this newly-rewilded ecosystem.

Feminist Bird Watchers Are Saving Ecosystems One Park at a Time

On a January morning cold enough to see your breath when you exhale, I trekked down a gravel path surrounded by trees with the Durham Feminist Bird Club at Durham’s Lake Betz. The club’s leader appeared, offering me a pair of binoculars. The glossy black eye cups had been considerably damaged through years of use and being packed and unpacked for his birding outings. Someone gasped, and the 20 or so attendees whipped their heads towards the sound.